22 May 2003 | Ben Langhinrichs said...

I have a hard time seeing fee based blogging make it unless someone does for blogging what IBM did for IM with SameTime, add business elements that make it worth more to a business. Blogging can be free, so why would anybody pay? Same with IM, and the answer is appealing to business use. If just a "clean look" and nice UI were enough, Trillian would cost bundle.

22 May 2003 | hurley#1 said...

The whole blogging thing reminds me of the CB radio craze in the 1970s. Millions of people bought them and learned the trucker's lingo, and their on-air conversations consisted mainly of "10-4, good buddy, what's your 20?" It all died out after a while.

The availability of easy-to-use blogging software will undoubtedly lead to a similar boom - - heck, there already is a blogging craze, what am I saying -- and it'll be big.

But I also think that a lot of people will eventually realize that they have nothing to say, or they'll find out they're too busy to keep up a blog, or they'll get distracted by the next fad and move on. You can already see this happening in the blog world today.

In the end, say, 5 or 10 years from now, blogging will probably settle down to something like it is now. The blogging universe will consist mainly of writers and wannabes, techies, the supremely self-absorbed, and people who just crave attention.

22 May 2003 | Jason said...

Please pardon my somewhat off-topic reply to this post, but looking at the TypePad screenshots reminded me of some questions I had regarding these types of UIs and who better to ask than the experts that frequent this blog.

Anyway, I found this article at Boxes and Arrows quite interesting. It promotes the idea of using one, simple page to display a complex set of data. To edit or add a piece of information, you are taken to a clean, simple form to edit just that data. You would then submit that form and (if the validation is fine) you end up back on the original page. The idea is that rather than allowing the user to change fields (via dropdowns or otherwise) and relying on them to save their changes, you force them to a page where they have to save or cancel to get back.

I like this idea and I see this philosophy used on these TypePad screenshots. The one part of the puzzle that I'm unclear on is how to validate the form when a user submits/saves. In other words, should you submit back to the same page, validate, and if everything is fine forward the browser to the original page. Or would it be better to have a generic validation page that sits between the form and the original page and it decides whether or not to send you back to fix the errors or to send you on if everything is fine. Or is there yet another (better) solution.

Sorry that I'm not replying directly to the specific topic proposed. This idea has been on my mind lately and I wanted to run it by some good usability thinkers.

22 May 2003 | Jacob said...

I'm still optimistic about the future of non-free blogware and hosting, but I think new developments in technology (mobile, especially) will change the way people use the web, maybe not for the self-publishing side of things but at least regarding virtual community-building.

What I would really like to see from a clever company like 6A is an all-round CMS built on their Moveable Type codebase. I love the power and flexibility of MT when it comes to blogging, but if it incorporated modules for file and document management, referer tracking, and visitor logs, I'd be able to use it for other bigger, costlier, and more important tasks.

22 May 2003 | JF said...

...add business elements that make it worth more to a business.

We're working on that very thing right now. Stay tuned.

22 May 2003 | Tim said...

I guess this sort of speaks to the "wide audience" of blogging these days, but I noticed that three of the five "Recent Press" articles aren't in english. Which is odd...maybe? I guess they warn you ahead of time on the SixApart press page, so, no harm, no foul.

Anyword on the tiered pricing of TypePad?

22 May 2003 | pb said...

The whole blogging thing has me utterly confused. Blogs seem to me barely evolved from Tripod, Geocities and Homestead. In many cases, they are being used improperly. Organizing content chronologically makes sense in many cases but is quite inappropriate in many other cases where blogs are currently being used.

The TypePad interface does seem to be exquisitely designed and plausibly 37s-produced. What continues to bother me is how there remains so many horrendously designed sites out there. TypePad, et. al. are helping the blogging sites on design but there still seems to be nothing helping regular site developers. As someone noted, can we get a TypePad-like content management service/tool?

Of course there's room for a fee-bearing service. It's common to say that no room should exist since there are free alternatives. This completely disregards how easy it is for a fee-bearing service to be superior to the free alternatives as well as have the resources to market, promote, improve, etc.

22 May 2003 | hurley#1 said...

As someone noted, can we get a TypePad-like content management service/tool?

I've never used CityDesk myself, but have heard some good things; it might be worth checking out.

The one very big thing I left out of my post above was the business applications: blogging software has of course found a niche in the business world as a way to build relationships with customers and as an interactive forum for feedback on the company's products and services. Whether those applications would rightfully be called "blogs," I dunno.

22 May 2003 | Steven Garrity said...

Both CityDesk and Radio Userland impressed me when I tried them.

I think TypePad will do very well based on the appearance and feeling of simplicity and elegance (ala Apple). Taking a page from Donald Norman's next book Emotional Design, I would recommend this service to a novice looking to setup a blog mostly because it looks like it would be easy. People are willing to pay for that level of comfort.

22 May 2003 | [email protected] said...

I think it will be like most pay vs. free battles: free will be good enough for most people, but pay will be better.

And there will always be people who are willing to pay for 'better.'

23 May 2003 | Keir said...

Having also received the TypePad taster email a couple of things spring to mind.

1. Will they offer domain names as part of the package or will it be subdomain based (i.e. username.typepad.com)

2. Pricing model. Considering the functionality it proposes I am intrigued to know what they consider reasonable costs for the service? Any ideas?

My Dad has been contemplating a web site for his musings and photos of local forna. From what I can make out I think TypePad might just pass the "Dad test". That is if my Dad can use it then anyone can.

To demonstrate what I mean. He told me yesterday that he has been typing URLs into the google search box since he got his PC about 5 years ago. He seemed genuinely miffed that you could access sites not listed in the google result list from the address bar! If only I could charge him for support!

27 May 2003 | Humphrey Bogus said...

I'm sorry to hear you all didn't do the UI. I really thought it was one of yours, as it looks so clean and intuitive. Well, sincerest form of flattery, I guess....

10 Nov 2003 | Bingo said...

For some time even quality Blogs should allow free Participation.

05 Jan 2004 | free xxx gallery said...

Strapon Tales

Foot Orgies

Pantyola

Pantyhose Line

Nylon Feet Line

TryPantyhose

PantyhoseCoeds

Pantyhose Discounts

Wired Shemales

ePantyhose Land

Bi Trios

TransPantyhose

Pantyhose One

Pantyhose Face

12 Jan 2004 | casino said...

Excellent site I have bookmarked your site and I will come back soon!